Solvation structure of Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) ions in acetonitrile: a combined EXAFS and XANES study
Paola D'Angelo1, Valentina Migliorati
1Dipartimento di Chimica, Università di Roma "La Sapienza" , P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
Abstract:
The solvation structure of Zn(2+) and Cu(2+) in acetonitrile has been determined by a combined approach using both X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy. For the former cation, an octahedral geometry of the acetonitrile solvate complex has been found with a Zn-N distance of 2.12(1) Å. For the Cu(2+) solvates the EXAFS technique has been found to be not able to provide a conclusive determination of the coordination numbers and polyhedral environment, while the analysis of the XANES spectra unambiguously shows the existence of an axially elongated square pyramidal coordination, ruling out the previously proposed octahedral Jahn-Teller (JT) distorted geometry. The Cu-N distances obtained are 2.00(1) and 2.28(2) Å for the equatorial and axial ligands, respectively, and the EXAFS and XANES techniques find values of the bond distances in good agreement. The XANES technique has proven to be extremely powerful in providing a reliable resolution of solution structure for dynamic ion complexes.
Related Concept Videos
Formation of Complex Ions
Ionic Crystal Structures
Most monatomic ions behave as charged spheres, and their attraction for ions of opposite charge is the same in every direction. Consequently, stable structures for ionic compounds result (1) when ions of one charge are surrounded by as many ions as possible of the opposite...
Ions as Acids and Bases
Salts are ionic compounds composed of cations and anions, either of which may be capable of undergoing an acid or base ionization reaction with water. Aqueous salt solutions, therefore, may be acidic, basic, or neutral, depending on the relative acid-base strengths of the salt’s constituent ions. For example, dissolving the ammonium chloride in water results in its dissociation, as described by the equation:
Structures of Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
Carboxylic acid derivatives contain an acyl group attached to a heteroatom such as chlorine, oxygen, or nitrogen. The carbonyl carbon and oxygen are both sp2-hybridized with an unhybridized p orbital.
The three sp2 orbitals of the carbonyl carbon form three σ bonds, one each with the carbonyl oxygen, the α carbon, and the heteroatom, whereas the other two sp2 orbitals of the carbonyl oxygen are occupied by the lone pairs. Further, the...
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than...
Coordination Number and Geometry


